Blinder for bridles



M. A. WILSON] BLINDER FOR BRIDLES.

(No Model.)

Inventor.- .MJZ. Wilson Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Gr mes.

MIMA A. WILSON, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

BLINDER FoR BRIDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,690, dated September 24, 1895. Application filed March 18,1896. Serial Ila 542,276. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIMA A. WILSON, of Kansas Gity,VVyandotte county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blinders, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to blinders for draftanimals, and has for its object the production of devices of this character which may be easily and expeditiously placed upon or removed from a bridle.

A further object of the invention is to provide blinders embodying simplicity, strength, and durability, and inexpensiveness of construction, with attractiveness of appearance.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following description and claims.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the-accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a blind er embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section taken on the line a or of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a modified form of blinder. Fig. 5 represents a crosssection of the same, taken on the line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 representsa view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of a still further modified form of construction.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a portion of a bridle, and 2 designates a plate which is riveted thereto or otherwise suitably secured. Said plate, near its upper end, is provided with a longitudinal slot 3, which registers with an aperture 4 in said strap 1.

5 designates a cylindrical rod which constitutes one member of the hinge or pivot of the blinder, as hereinafter more particularly referred to, and the said rod at its upper end is bent to form a curved neck 6, which extends through the slot 3, and the head 7, which corresponds in length with the said slot and extends when in operative position laterally of the same and within the opening 4 of said strap. To remove said rod, therefore, it is evident that it is necessary only to swing said rod to a plane at right angles to said slot 3 and then lift the head directly out of said slot.

This operation is reversed to secure the rod again in position. The other member of the hinge or pivot comprises the pin 8, having a shoulder 9, and the body portion, which is detachably secured to the plate 2 by means of a set-screw 10'or by any other means which will permit of the quick removal and replacement of said pin when required relative to the said plate '2. Said pin 8 terminates, preferably, at some distance from the adjacent end of the rod 5, and in full size need not be more than a quarter of an inch in length. Near its upper end the rod 5 is provided with'a collar 11,

which may be rigidly secured thereon by a pin, as shown, or in any other suitable manner, and carried by said rod below said collar is a spline or key 12. A collar 13, provided with clutch-teeth in one face, is mounted upon said rod and said spline or key so as to be longitudinally adjustable and non-rotatable. A coil-spring 14 encircles the rod 5 and bears at its opposite ends against the collar 11 and the clutch-collar 13 and tends to force the same downward. A blinder 15, which may be of the construction shown or of any other suitable or preferred construction, is provided at one end with a tubular head 16, which embraces the pins 5 and 8, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and is forced down upon the shoulder 9 of the said pin 8 by the action of the spring 14.

In order that the blinder may be held or fixed at any desired point in ,its adjustment to accommodate best the eye of the animal upon which it is applied, the head 16 at its upper end is provided with a clutch-face 17, which is engaged at all times by the springactuated clutch member 13. In order that said blinder may be moved outward or inward, as occasion may demand, I preferably form the opposing faces of saidclutch members with alternating \I-shaped projections and depressions, so that when suftlcieut force is applied the pressure of the spring 14 is overcome and the teeth of each member slipped successively from one notch to another. It is apparent by this construction that the blinder may be set quickly and easily at the required angle to the eye of the animal.

In Fig. 4:, in lieu of the pivot-rods 5 and 8 and of the clutch member carried by one of said rods, I providea tube 18, which is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the plate 2. This tube is preferably of sheet metal and is formed for nearly its entire length with a longitudinal slot 19 and at suitable points with a pair of openings 20, which really are lateral enlargements of the said slot 19, and thus alternate with the portions 21 of said tube which are left intact, except for the slot 19, hereinbefore described. At its upper end the said tube is formed with an ornamental head 22 of the configuration shown, or of any other suitable form. Through this head the slot 19 preferably does not extend. The blinder 15 in this instance comprises the body portion of the usual or any preferred configuration, the cylindrical heads 23, corresponding in number and approximately in length with the openings 20 of the tube 18 and corresponding diametrically to the interior of the tube 18, and the necks 21, which unite said heads with the body portion of the blinder. Said necks 24, at their junction with said heads, are in thickness less than the width of the slot 19, and to place the blinder in operative position relative to said tube 18 it is arranged with the axis of the heads 23 inline with the axis of the tube 18. The blinder is then moved toward said tube, and as the adjacent head enters said tube its neck 24. slips into the slot19. This movement is continued until said heads are opposite the openings 20, and one end of the blinderis against the head 22 of the tube and the other end is against the head of the screw-bolt 25, which engages the opposite end of said tube. The head of said bolt preferably corresponds in outline to the head 22. It will now be seen, as the blinder has no longitudinal movement, being held from such by the head 22 and the head of the bolt 25, that it is free to swing or operate pivotally, owing to the fact that the necks, which unite the heads with the body portion of the blinder, swing in said openings 20, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5.

In order to secure the blinder at any desired point in its adjustment, the heads 23 thereof are provided with surface cavities 26, preferably corrugated or roughened, and engaging said cavities are the set-screws 27, which are carried by the tube 18, and have their ends preferably pointed or conical, as shown, so as to more readily engage the corrugations of said cavities and permit a comparatively fine adj ustment of the blinder toward or from the animals eye.

In Fig. 6 the adjusting element is lacking. In this case I employ a tube 18, similar to the tube 18, except that it is not provided with the openings 23. It is provided with a slot 19 and with a head 22, and is also closed at its opposite end by screw 25. The blinder 15 comprises a single head 23, having a neck 24, which engages the slot 19 when the arm 23 is within the tube. In this connection it will be noticed that by removing the screw 25 the blinder may be slid quickly and easily from or into engagement with the tube 18, and it will also be noticed that there is no pivotal movement or adjustment toward or from the eye of the animal wearing the same.

A blinder constructed as described will be found very convenient, and each blinder, by reason of the adjustment may be used with any animal, whether the eye projects more or less. Such a blinder, also, may be nickel, silver, or gold plated or otherwise ornamented, as desired.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the detail construction, arrangement, and proportion of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my in- Vention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to seen re by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a plate sccu red to a bridle, hinge or pivot rods carried by said plate, and a spring-actuated clutch-member carried by said rods,of a blinder pivotally mounted upon said rods and provided witha clutch-face engaged by said clutch-member substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a plate secured to a bridle, hinge or pivot rods detachably carried by said plate, and a springactuated clutch member carried by said rods, of a blinder pivotally mounted upon said rods and provided with a clutch-face engaged by said clutch-member, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a plate secured to a bridle, provided at one end with a longitudinal slot, and hinge or pivot-rods, one of them secured rigidly but detachably to said plate, and the other extending through the said slot and bent at right-angles to the same to prevent accidentaldisconnection with the plate,

of a blinder mounted to swing upon said rods, and means to secure it at the required point of adjustment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MIMA A. WILSON. Witnesses:

G. Y. Tnonrn, M. R. REMLEY. 

